Read the Mark Mead interview in Luxury Travel Magazine about luxury travel to Costa Rica.

Costa Rican Holidays

The most important event on the Costa Rican religious calendar isn’t Christmas, as some visitors might expect. Though that revered family holiday is certainly sacred, the date you’ll need to plan your trip around is Semana Santa, or Holy Week—the week preceding Easter Sunday.

Chocolate bunnies, colored eggs, and special Catholic Masses are just the beginning: Semana Santa is serious business in Central America. If you’re thinking about enjoying your spring break in Costa Rica, or anywhere in Latin America for that matter, you need to start making plans now. In 2011, Easter comes on April 24, but travelers should start making reservations for travel beginning April 16 (Palm Sunday).

The entire country begins to shut down the weekend prior to Easter, as just about every Costa Rican with the means is already planning their escape to the beach. Hotel rates along the coasts rise in every category—and that’s if you can find a room. Many Ticos (Costa Ricans) simply bring hammocks to the beach, or sleep right on the sand. One wonders if the whales and sea turtles consider it a natural migratory event, and plan tours around the massive annual influx of humans.

Inland, particularly in San José and the Central Valley’s major cities, smaller business begin shutting down on Monday, while almost all non-essential services are closed on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday preceding Easter. Most buses stop running on Thursday and Friday as well—if you don’t have a rental car, make sure that you’re where you want to be. Alcohol sales are forbidden Wednesday through Saturday, but if you speak a bit of Spanish, you can usually find bars and private vendors willing to part with a bottle or two, at premium prices.

If you’re willing to work with the wild ruckus surrounding Semana Santa, however, you won’t find a more authentically Costa Rican fiesta. The beach parties are wild, and you’ll almost certainly be invited to toast the holiday with inebriated locals (though it always helps if you bring your own libations). And, if you’re interested in more traditional events, most major towns and cities offer more serious observations of the Holy Week.

More religious Costa Ricans, particularly the older generations, believe that driving, swimming, drinking alcohol, and eating meat (other than seafood) during Semana Santa is sinful. Rather than heading to the beach, they enjoy a quiet week with their families and church congregations.

Catholic churches, most notably in Cartago and around the Central Valley, organize elaborate, costumed processions on Good Friday, depicting Jesus Christ’s last day before the crucifixion. Called the Via Crucis, or Via Dolorosa (literally the “Way of the Cross” or “Way of Sorrows,” and very similar to the Passion Play), these follow a representation of Jesus, sometimes portrayed by an actor dragging the cross, or more often a carved statue carried on a litter by volunteers.

The Via Cruces stops at each Station of the Cross, where other actors perform key Biblical events, such as Simon of Cyrene being ordered by the Romans to carry the cross for a struggling Jesus, and Saint Veronica wiping Christ’s brow with what is now, according to tradition, the Shroud of Turin. All are invited to follow.

There are dozens of other more typically Tico traditions associated with Semana Santa, however, not all of them sanctioned by the Church. For instance, in many towns, Judas the Betrayer is burned in effigy on the Saturday before Easter, accompanied by lots of fireworks. In Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, local gentlemen capture a live crocodile with their bare hands, and keep it in a pen (with the blessing of MINAE, if not the Vatican) as part of the Lagarteada, a celebration that almost certainly predates the Spanish Conquest.

Visiting Costa Rica during Semana Santa can be the best of times, or the worst of times, depending on whether or not you’ve prepared. Still up for it? Mead Brown still has luxury villas, homes and condominiums available right on the beach, and just an hour from the most elaborate traditional festivals in the Central Valley. Contact us as soon as possible to make your Semana Santa memorable for all the right reasons.

It’s peak sailfish season in Costa Rica!  Book your boat and accommodations now.  Best fishing for sails is now through April.  We know the best boats and crews.  Give us a call from the U.S. or Canada at 1.866.567.1516 or from Costa Rica at 2637.8561.  We’ll hook you up!

May 25, 2010 — A major consumers’ group has rated the sunscreens it says work best at blocking harmful ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation that cause sunburns, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers.

Consumer Reports Health tested 12 products and found four it says protect a touch better than the others.

The top four are:

• Up & Up Sport Continuous SPF 30, by Target. It is administered by spray and costs $0.88 per ounce.
• Walgreens Sport Continuous SPF 50. Also a spray. Cost, $1.33 per ounce.
• Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous SPF 30. Spray. Cost, $1.60 per ounce.
• Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50. Spray. Cost, $2 an ounce.

The products were tested in an outside laboratory, which checked product claims of how well their sun protection factor, or SPF, lasted on volunteers who soaked in water for 80 minutes. SPF rates the level of UVB protection.

The FDA has proposed a UVA star rating system for sunscreen labels of one to four stars to indicate the level of UVA protection. Currently there is no protection factor for UVA radiation on any labels.

The top four sunscreens provided “very good” UVA protection and “excellent” UVB protection, and met their SPF claims even after treated skin was in water for 80 minutes.

Each of the sunscreens had a moderately intense floral or citrus scent and left little residue on the skin.

Up & Up also received a “best buy” ranking from Consumer Reports Health. All four of the top brands cost a lot less than La Roche-Posay, which costs $18.82 per ounce.

Ranking below the top four were:

• Coppertone Water Babies, with an SPF of 50 and a cost per ounce of $1.38. It is a lotion.
• Coppertone UltraGuard Continuous rated a 70+ in SPF, costing $1.62 per ounce. Spray.
• No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin rated 45 on the SPF scale, costing $0.59 per ounce. Lotion.
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist with Helioplex had a 45 SPF, costing $1.90 per ounce. Spray.
• Badger scored a PDF of 30, costing $4.83 per ounce. Lotion.
• La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 with Mexoryl SX, scored a 40 SPF, costing $18.82 per ounce. Cream.
• Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition scores a SPF of 30, costing $3.50 per ounce. Pump spray.
• Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free with Hemp Seed Oil got a 30 SPF, costing $4 per ounce. Lotion.

Consumer Reports Health says the active ingredient in Burt’s Bees, titanium dioxide, does not absorb the entire UVA spectrum as effectively as alternatives like avobenzone.

Avon, Consumer Reports Health says, makes no claim about protection from UVA rays, but the product doubles as a bug repellent.

Tips for Avoiding Sunburn

The report says sunbathers should buy sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which it says is enough for most people, and that sunscreens also should be water resistant.

Adults looking for full-body protection should apply 2 to 3 tablespoons of lotion 15 to 30 minutes before going out into the sun. The screen should be reapplied every two hours or after swimming or sweating. It says putting on sunscreen spray when it’s windy can be a tricky proposition.

• Don’t spray or rub sunscreen on clothes, because the products can stain.
• People should wear tightly woven clothing and a hat, limit exposure in the sun, and seek shade during the hottest parts of the day.
• If the sunscreen you buy has no expiration date, write down when you buy it with a permanent marker. Discard at the expiration date, or when you’ve had the product for more than two years, when potency is often lost.

 “A top-performing sunscreen isn’t going to give you any protection if its smell or the way it feels on your skin is so offensive to you that you won’t use it,” Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, says in a news release. “The Aveeno Continuous protection spray is one of the mildest in terms of scent and leaves a bit of a greasy residue that is mild compared to some others. But if you prefer that beach scent, you might try the Up & Up by Target or the Walgreens Sport Continuous.”

The article is published in the May 25, 2010 issue of Consumer Reports.  Tip:  Purchase sunscreen prior to traveling to Costa Rica.  Sunscreen in Costa Rica is really expensve!

Follow Mead Brown on Twitter (@MeadBrown) for special deals available only to followers.  Offers may include accommodations, meals, clubs, tours, transportation, lessons, chefs, plus inside info on what’s happening in Jaco Beach, Manuel Antonio, Los Suenos Resort and other vacation hotspots in Costa Rica.

Casa Mono Loco is perched above Los Suenos Resort, Herradura Bay and the Pacific Ocean

Designed by Ronald Zurcher, Costa Rica’s most esteemed architect, Casa Mono Loco is a distinctive rental villa within the Los Sueños Resort & Marina, yet it offers secluded splendor. With dramatic, spectacular vistas of Bahia Herradura, the resort and the surrounding rain forest and nature preserve, Casa Mono Loco also affords maximum privacy. Recently upgraded, redecorated and refurbished by the new owners who pay homage to the architectural integrity and beauty of the original. 

 The open and clever design of Casa Mono Loco allows one to experience the monkeys, toucans, scarlet macaws, other sights and the sounds of the surrounding lush, tropical rain forest from the comfort of your private Shangri La. Satellite TV and VOIP with free telephone calls to the U.S. and Canada.Three air-conditioned bedrooms with private en suite bathrooms. The master with king-sized bed is a detached pavilion, providing maxium privacy. The Dome Room bedroom has two full beds and a domed ceiling. The Coral Room bedroom also has two full beds. Every room has a spectacular ocean view. The living area is an open air rancho beyond which is the pool with an infinity edge that melds into the blues of Herradura Bay.

Casa Mono Loco is the only house on the very quiet road; you’ll have no human neighbors! If you seek tranquility and to be at one with nature but desire comforts that are more than civilized, this is the home for you. Yet you’ll have access to all the amenities of the Los Suenos Resort, including the spa, marina, shops, restaurants, golf course, room service from the Marriott Hotel, casino and more just two minutes away by car. The blossoming beach town of Jaco is 10 minutes away and Manuel Antonio National Park is about 75 minutes away.

A proud mother who's just laid a nest of Olive Ridley turtle eggs

Last night my buddy Raul and I met up at the Back Yard Bar and Grill and then drove the six or so miles to the south end of Hermosa Beach (Playa Hermosa) just 10 minutes from Jaco; the last five miles were all within the Tulin Playa Hermosa Refuge, a nature preserve established by the government about eight years ago. The north end of this beach is where the World Surfing Games were held during the first week of August 2009.

Four of the world’s seven species of marine turtles nest on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica — the Pacific Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill and the Olive Ridley.  Forty-seven beaches on the Pacific Coast have been identified as having turtle nesting activity

The Olive Ridley turtle lays 70-120 eggs at a time, and typically lays two-three batches per year. This is one of the many interesting bits of info shared by Raul, a Costa Rican who knows so much about his beautiful country, including its history, flora and fauna. 

Tulin Playa Hermosa Refuge on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast

Our mission was to walk the beach looking for turtle tracks, which lead to nests of just-laid eggs. Mostly we walked by moonlight; it’s easier to see the tracks. Occasionally we turned on our red-light flashlights to check out whatever dark mass was in our path (always just a large log or beautiful piece of driftwood, typically from an ancient growth tree struck down by age and the elements).  Artificial light disorients the turtles; they navigate by the light of the moon.

Raul has experienced so much of Costa Rica. While walking toward the mouth of the Tulin River and the 100 or so crocodiles who call it home, he told me about fishing in there and catching rooster fish and huge snook.  At a river further south, he met an old guy in an ancient canoe who had told Raul about the crocodile who ate his dog.  Enraged at losing a loved companion, the old guy killed the 12 foot long croc with a grappling hook.  When Raul expressed disbelief, Cocodrilo Dundee took Raul to his hut and pulled the croc skull with teeth out from under his bed.  Sr. Dundito had eaten the dog-eating croc!

I asked Raul what croc tastes like and his response was the one heard the world over, “Like chicken!”  My high school chum Tammi Mclaughlin wrote on Facebook, “I’ve actually had crocodile and I think it tastes like not much of anything with a nice rubber texture to boot!”.

Olive Ridley turtle laying eggs

Once at the river, we shined our flashlight across the broad waters and were met by the reflections of about 20 red dots. Each dot represented one eye of a croc hunting in the river (the second eye of each was on the other side of their head and not seen by us).

We walked back to the nursery where about 100 nests are covered by protecting wire mesh (to help keep raccoons and other predators out) and surrounded by a wire mesh fence.  We found that one nest had been destroyed by ants and all the eggs had been ruined.  Better luck at the next nest, where one baby turtle had hatched and was somewhere in his hour-long process of waking up and gathering energy for his journey to the sea. With a gloved hand (to protect him from our insect repellant and other forms of contamination), the tortugito (baby turtle) was carried to the water’s edge, where he was gently washed out into the Pacific with the next small wave. 

I said a silent prayer for his health and well-being and imagined what changes the world would see during his lifetime, which could be 70 years. (Another Bush presidency? China’s world domination? Scott Miller becomes house trained again?)

We then walked up the beach in the other direction, looking for a momma turtle making her way to lay eggs.  What we found were fresh turtle tracks.  She had made a roundtrip, which means the eggs had been buried above the high tide mark.  We found the nest, dug up the eggs, counted and placed them in a plastic grocery bag.  Turtle eggs—Olive (so named for their color) Ridley turtle eggs—do not have a hard shell.  The eggs are squishy, softer even than a hard-boiled egg that’s been peeled. 

Turtle eggs being laid; think "squishy ping pong ball"

I carried the eggs to the nursery and re-buried them in the sand, within the protective enclosure. Of the 106 eggs, 85 or so will likely hatch. Those nearest the top of the nest (a hole dug in sand, elbow deep) will likely be female, those on the bottom will likely be male. Gender is determined by the temperature during an early developmental stage (eggs nearer the top are made warmer by the sun).

With our one hatchling safely launched and our eggs buried, we called it a night. I cannot wait to return; Raul is a terrific guide. Easy company and very knowledgeable.  His family has grown coffee in the San Ramon area of Costa Rica for generations and Raul sells it via a web site he built.  Check out the site; better yet, order a few bags for yourself and friends; Finca Rica (rich farm) ships to the U.S., Canada, Europe and elsewhere.

A just-hatched Ridley turtle making its way to the Pacific Ocean

When you come to Costa Rica for an adventure vacation off the beaten tourist path, let me know and I’ll hook you up with Raul.  His specialties as a guide are outings that are “non-touristy” and include surfing, fishing, waterfalls, coffee farm tours, snorkeling and this hands-on turtle tour at the Tulin Playa Hermosa Refuge.

This weekend Raul is heading to Playa Camaronal in the Guanacaste region on the Northern Pacific Coast for “arribada” (mass arrival) of Ridley turtles. Check out Christopher P. Baker’s blog for an excellent description of this wonder of nature.

"Mass arrival" of Olive Ridley turtles coming to lay eggs

Love nature, food and art? Monte Azul is perfect for you.

This past weekend I re-charged at Monte Azul Boutique Hotel + Center for Art & Design near Chirripo, the tallest mountain in Costa Rica at 12,228 feet (as a frame of reference, Mt. Rainier in Washington state is 14,441 feet). Fishing and swimming in the really cold and beautiful river, hiking and seeing many species of birds, the community dance on Saturday night, amazing meals in the organic Cafe Blue, a really comfortable and thoughtfully designed casita decorated with world-class art, and goat cheese from the resident herd were all highlights. 

Casita Amarilla was my comfortable home for the weekend

All of the casitas have first-class original art, really comfortable beds and bed linens, a spa-like bath with watery Italian tile and hand-made soap, a kitchenette perfect for brewing a cup of the organic coffee grown on the preserve, plush robes and lots of light.  Each casita is situated for maximum privacy.  I left my windows and doors open for most of my stay for the full effect of being in nature.  No worries about creepy crawlies here!

The staff at Cafe Blue–led by Sherry Lee West–lovingly, artfully and professionally prepared and served some of the best food I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in Costa Rica.  Much of it was grown, raised or made on site.  Randy, the many-talented visionary-host-owner (there are 3) of Monte Azul, made the goat cheese served with fruit and a glass of wine in my casita just after arrival.  Randy also made a pumpkin pie that rivals any made by my grandmothers!  The bar in Cafe Blue is a “must see”; much of it is a beautiful work of art created by Alvaro Gomez.  Cheese-making in the Swiss style with a local family is one of many offered activities.  This is on the list of “to experience” for my next visit!   

The light, trees, orchids and bromeliads all combine for maximum lushness

Carlos Rojas Jara is another of Monte Azul’s visionary owners with many talents.  He’s an artist and host with something interesting to say about many topics.  His Monte Azul creation delights one’s senses of smell, taste and sight.

Cafe Blue at Monte Azul features locally-produced, organic food perfectly prepared and attentively served

The climate at Monte Azul is perfect for me (I’m from the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.); it’s considerably cooler than Jaco, Los Suenos Resort, Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Tamarindo and other popular beaches along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  The topography, scenery, flora and fauna are all quite different, too.  A perfect vacation for someone visiting Costa Rica for a week or more would be to stay at one of the beaches mentioned and then at Monte Azul.  It’s about 2 to 2.5 hours from Manuel Antonio, 1 to 1.5 from Dominical and 3 from San Jose. 

Activities in the immediate area of Monte Azul include whitewater rafting, horseback riding, cooking lessons, cheese-making lessons, yoga and massage, hiking, birding, trekking, swimming and fishing in the river (I did both and found the really cold water invigorating; the current is swift and the fish are impossible to catch, but what a way to spend an afternoon!).

For families or small groups, the newly completed Villa Palo Alto is a really special place to spend a week.  The contemporary design fits perfectly into the land; the 1,100 square foot great room opens to a magnificent view of the valley with the rain forests and cloud forests above and beyond.  The home is filled with art from some of the most talented artists active today.  (The owners have art galleries in New York City and San Francisco and Monte Azul has a an artist in residence program.) 

I could go on and on.  The bottom line is that Monte Azul provides all the comfort in a stunningly beautiful setting that anyone who loves art, food, nature and life needs to create memorable experiences they’ll remember for a lifetime.  I hope to make this my home away from home, with a retreat to the mountains every couple of months.  It’s that special and that restorative.